Alicante Prestige
by sammyiam
Summary: Clary has just been accepted into the Alicante Prestige Shadowhunter Academy, the most famous shadowhunter training institute in the world. What happens when she meets a certain blonde Adonis who turns her world upside down? Join Clary as she makes friends, kicks some butt, and maybe, just maybe, falls in love. Clace. AU. Rated M just in case.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi everyone! I'm brand new here to and I've honestly had this idea in my head for a while. I hope it meets expectations. A couple of things really quickly. (AND SLIGHT SPOILERS FOR COHF) 1. Simon is a shadowhunter off the bat in this story. 2. Jonathon has already graduated from Shadowhunting School, so he's a full time shadowhunter. 3. I'm looking for an editor, if this story blows up the way I hope, so if you are interested, let me know. Please enjoy!**

The scorching stream of the shower hit Clary's back, burning true and hot. With a sigh, she sank further into the water's way, soaking her red tresses. Without any doubt, this was her favorite time of the day. In the early morning, when her parents and Jonathon were sleeping, and the golden light seeping through the window and cut through the steam of the shower, she felt the most at peace. Slowly, it woke her from her sleepy state. Clambering out and reaching for a towel, she felt the anxiety and unease pierce her once calm demeanor.

Today was her last day in the house. After lunch, they would hoist her gigantic suitcase into Luke's beat up truck and drive her ten hours to her new boarding school: Alicante Prestige Shadowhunter Academy. The world's most renowned school for the Nephilim. She remembered the day she received the letter in early spring, beckoning her to join.

 _Clarissa Fairchild,_

 _In light of recent reports of progress sent to the Academy, we would like to formally extend an invitation to join the senior class for this up and coming school year. We are more than happy to add that this year's tuition would be covered by the Hodge Starkweather Raven Scholarship, in which you have met the requirements above and beyond._

Clary had stopped reading there, her mind numb with shock and joy. Alicante Prestige was a complete dream. She had grown up wanting to go, after her visit with her parents when she was eight years old. The towering building with incredible stained-glass windows and sprawling gardens spoke to her heart. When she grew older she had accepted that sometimes dreams just wouldn't be feasible. So she went to the closest school, New York Institute of Shadowhunters, and honed her skills to perfection. Within the past year, her ability to create new runes had emerged, and she spent her time split between training, demon hunting, and with her nose stuck firmly in her sketchbook. Apparently, her dedication to her work as a shadowhunter had paid off.

Wringing out her hair with a towel, she wiped the fog away from the mirror with one hand and stared back at her reflection. Cherry red hair, stuck in wet strands to her face. Dusting of freckles atop her small nose. High cheekbones; the blue shadows under her eyes from the sleepless night before. Wide emerald green eyes, framed with dark lashes, that once again reminded her of how nervous she was. She sighed again.

"Suck it up," she spoke to the mirror. "You've wanted this for most of your _life_. You can't back out now because you're a little freaked." The person in the mirror nodded resolutely, and she marched out of the bathroom. Straight into another person. She jumped backwards with a yelp.

"Jesus Christ, Clary," her brother mumbled, eyes still narrow with sleep. He was in a t-shirt and pajama pants, running his hands over his face and through his white-blond hair. "Aren't shadowhunters supposed to have more awareness? I swear I surprise you more often than any demon ever will."

Clary shrugged. "Sorry, preoccupied." His eyes softened, and he pulled her in for a hug.

"It'll be fine," He murmured into the crown of her head. "You're going to go to that fancy pants academy and kick some major ass. You know that. Stop psyching yourself out. I'm only a call away. Say one word and I'll drive down to visit you. " His words sunk into her skin like a warm blanket. She could always count on him to make her feel sane. Her big brother had faith in her. She squeezed him and straightened up.

"I'll miss kicking _your_ ass every day." She smiled cheekily at him. He snorted and ducked into the bathroom.

"If you took all the hot water, it's _your_ ass that will be kicked," he declared. "Thoroughly and painstakingly kicked, I tell you." The door closed behind him with a soft click. Clary chuckled, and although the nervousness was gone, she felt an ache of sadness go through her. No more brother-sister banter while she was away. She shook her head and shuffled back to her room to complete her packing.

 **.oOOOOOOOOOOo.**

"Clary." Her eyes were shut and she was fading back into consciousness. Who was that? They were definitely annoying, that's for sure. " _Clary,_ " the voice insisted, now accompanied by a shake of her shoulder. "You need to wake up, we're here." She sat up slowly, blinking her eyes against the harsh light of the streetlamp shining through the car window. Wincing, she rubbed her sore neck.

"Christ," She yawned. "Remind me why we didn't portal here?"

"Because it's ridiculously expensive and Luke has a perfectly working truck right here?" Her mother looked amused. Luke chuckled.

"Mom, I can _make_ a fu—freaking portal," Clary caught herself on the curse. Her mother looked sharply at her. Clary drank the sight of her parents in. Jocelyn with her messy bun, pencils sticking all over the place, green eyes the same shade as Clary's but seemingly softer. Luke with his scratchy stubble and strong jaw, kind eyes shining towards his family. He wasn't her real father, but she thought the world of him. Another pang of sadness rolled through her chest. She was going to miss them so much.

"Watch your mouth," her mother lectured. Jonathon snickered next to her, earning him a kick in the shin. "And you know you can't portal unless you send in a formal request to the Clave. God knows when they would approve _that_." She shook her head in frustration, a couple pieces of hair falling out of her bun.

"Come on everyone, hop out," Luke swung open the truck door and headed to the back to wrangle Clary's suitcase out. "Good lord, child," He panted. "Did you literally pack _boulders_?"

"Shoes, Luke," Clary jumped out of the backseat of the truck and went to aid her stepfather. "You know how I enjoy my fifty pairs of generic black combat boots." He rolled his eyes at her and set down the suitcase. He straightened, dusting off his palms. Clary looked behind them at the looming building. It looked every bit the grandiose, gothic church she remembered from her childhood. She felt the same pull, it was almost magnetic. She _belonged_ here.

"Alright," Her mother looked tense, but pasted on a bright smile. "Let's get you inside and settled. You look exhausted." She shot a pointed look at Jonathon and aimed it towards the luggage. He raised his hands in defeat and grabbed her suitcase, Luke pulling her duffle bag over his shoulder. Her mother grabbed her hand and guided her towards the gargantuan front doors of the Academy. As the pushed through, Clary sighed in wonder. It was absolutely stunning. Lofty ceilings with enormous witchlight chandeliers. White marble floors and intricate pillars. All around were comfortable armchairs and sofas, tables and chairs. Paintings and photographs littered the walls. A few people, presumably students, were still up at the late hour, lounging around and talking with their friends. It was soft and cozy, and immediately put Clary's nerves at ease. They headed towards the back of the front room, where there was a huge cherry wood desk that looked like it belonged in some sort of antique museum.

"Someone is supposed to meet you here," her mother mumbled. The desk was empty, save for a single bell sitting atop.

"Are you supposed to ring the bell? Seems a little… old-fashioned." Jonathon mused. He was right. New York Institute of Shadowhunters was incredibly modern in comparison. Clary swallowed, stepped forward, and tapped the bell firmly. The clear sound of the bell echoed. For a moment, there was silence and no movement. Then, as Clary went to moved forward to hit the bell again, a dark-haired woman came out from a door behind the desk.

"Hello!" The woman smiled warmly. She had beautiful blue eyes and raven hair. She turned and looked over at Luke and her mother, mouth dropping open. "By the angel, Jocelyn? Luke? It's been _years_!" She bustled over and threw her arms against her surprised parents.

"Maryse?" Jocelyn squeaked. "My god, you look amazing. How are you? I didn't know you transferred to Alicante." She pulled back and smiled a warm, genuine smile. Clary snuck a look at Jonathon, who look just as thrown as she did. They had never met their parent's friends.

"Yes, this will be my second year as head of Alicante Prestige," Maryse's eyes shone wide with pride. She turned to Clary with a soft smile. "Hello, you must be Clarissa. Welcome to Alicante Prestige Shadowhunter Academy. We're thrilled to have you join us for your last year in training." Clary smiled back.

"Clary, please," She corrected. "And thank you so much for this opportunity. I hope I live up to expectations." She blushed, not meaning to sound so insecure. _Great_.

"Of course, you will," Maryse said warmly. "I apologize, but this is where you'll have to say goodbye to your family, Clary. My daughter Isabelle will show you to the room you both will be sharing. _Isabelle_!" A tall, elegant, _beautiful_ girl strode out from behind the door. Her hair was long and a shiny black, her eyes almost the color of ink. She looked like a runway model, all thin and perfect body. Her plump lips were rosy and pink, and her eyelashes were full and dark. Clary's jaw nearly hit the floor. Behind her, Jonathon made a sound halfway between a groan and a cough, and honestly, Clary couldn't blame him. She was every guys dream. Jocelyn, however, whacked her son on the back of the head.

" _Behave_ ," she hissed. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Isabelle stopped next to Clary, seemingly oblivious to what just happened.

"Hi," She said with a smile. "I'm Isabelle, I'm a senior here. It's really nice to meet you, I look forwards to being roommates with you." She looked Clary up and down and her grin became impossibly wide. "I can't wait to do a ton of make-overs." Clary's eyes widened.

"I—" She started but was cut off by Maryse.

"Isabelle, let's go wait until Clary says goodbye to her family," She grabbed her daughter and shoed her towards the corner. "Again, Luke. Jocelyn. It was so good seeing you. You as well Jonathon, you've grown into a fine young man since the last time I saw your infant self. Clary's well cared for. You all be cautious driving back!" With that, she joined her daughter. The lump rose in Clary's throat. This was it. This was the part she was dreading.

Everyone fell into a group hug, with Clary at the center. She closed her eyes and basked in the warmth and love radiating from each of the people she loved most.

"We love you so much," Her mother whispered. Luke and Jonathon nodded. "We're so proud of you." Clary's eyes stung as she forced back tears.

"Kick some ass, my love," Luke kissed the top of her head. His spicy aftershave washed over her.

"Love you, Clare," Jonathon ruffled her hair. "Text and call me whenever, okay? I mean it. Even if you pull some girly shit—OW, _okay_ Mom— even if you call me _upset_ , I promise to make you laugh. I mean it." He pushed his pinkie finger to hers and laced it through. Clary held on tight, then stepped back.

"I love you guys," She put on a wobbly smile. "I'll talk to you soon." She watched as they turned around and made their way to the door. When it clanged shut behind them, she took a deep breath and turned to Isabelle.

"I'm ready. Let's go."

 **Alright so I know it's somewhat long, but I definitely want to get the background information out of the way! And Jace hasn't been introduced yet, but don't you fret. He'll be coming around soon enough.** **R &R, thanks everyone!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Aaaaand welcome back everyone. So sorry this chapter took so long to get up. I'm working and going to college right now so finding time to write fanfic is a little bit nutty. Anyways, I'm really glad people enjoyed the first chapter. Hopefully it'll be the same for this chapter as well. Quick note, yes Alec is gay. No, he and Clary will not have a thing. Enjoy!**

Clary's hands were trembling, and with a jerk she shoved them into her sweatshirt pocket. Seeing her family walk out was enough to send her into a full-blown panic, but she'd be damned if she showed Isabelle her weakness. Isabelle didn't seem to even notice, she was far too busy bustling about the desk, retrieving papers and keys. Maryse had thrown a sweet smile towards Clary and bid them both goodnight, kissing her daughter's cheek and disappearing through the door behind the desk.

"Okay," Isabelle seemed satisfied with her haul. "I got you a map of the school, which we'll go over tomorrow. Since tomorrow's Sunday, there aren't any classes, so I can walk you around and show you where everything is, too. Here's your room key," She thrust a small key to Clary. "You and I are sharing a room for this year. It'll be great. I also grabbed your schedule, even though it's practically nothing. Senior's mostly just do training in the gym, but you also have Rune Study, Clave Law, and Overview, which is basically a culmination of everything we've ever learned as Shadowhunters. Kind of like a final review type thing." Clary nodded, trying to keep up. The unease was slowly fading into excitement. Isabelle seemed genuinely happy to have her as her roommate.

"Thanks," Clary gave her a wobbly smile. "I really appreciate having your help." Isabelle grinned.

"Of course," she said. "And please, call me Izzy. All my friends do." When Clary nodded, she turned on her heel and begin walking towards the corridor to the left of the desk. The witchlight flickered, throwing a soft glow over everything. Isabelle stopped a little ways down the hall and turned back.

"You coming?" She said. Clary nodded, then realized her ginormous bags were just sitting by the desk, looking out of place.

"My bags," Clary said. "Do we leave them here or are we going to the room?" Isabelle looked over, registering the fact that the luggage was probably just as big as Clary.

"We're going to the room," She walked back down the hallway and was glancing around the huge common area. "There's no way in hell I'm wrestling those things up there, though. I'll get my brothers to help us out." She was still scanning the room, and finally she seemed to find who she was looking for. "Jace! Alec! C'mere!" She cupped her hands and yelled, sounding obnoxiously loud in the otherwise quiet room. Clary looked over to see two boys jerk at the sudden noise, and then stand up and walk over.

 _Holy. Motherfuck._

They were gorgeous, both of them. One was tall, like Isabelle, with the same raven black hair and eyes the color of the ocean. The other one was shorter, but still tall. He was lean, walking with a kind of dangerous grace. His hair was golden and curly, and artfully mussed, as though he spent a lot of time running his hand through it. Every inch of him was lean and muscled, his jawline was pristine. And when he looked up, Clary nearly lost her wits. His eyes were tawny, the most unique color she'd ever seen. She felt lightheaded. _Is everyone here a fucking part time model?_

The boys reached them and stopped, giving Clary a once over. She felt the blonde's eyes linger over her, and she felt something warm and fluttery curl up in her stomach. She cleared her throat and gave a minute shake to clear her head. _Focus,_ she thought. As if reading her mind, his lips tugged up at one corner in practically the most panty-melting smirk she had ever seen. _Oh, dear God._ She was virtually sweating at this point.

"Guys," Isabelle said, unknowingly coming to her rescue. "This is Clary Fairchild, she's a new senior here. She's going to be my roommate." She smiled down at Clary, who gave her a weaker one in return. "This one is Alec, my older brother." She gestured towards the tall one with dark hair. "And this one is Jace, my adopted brother." _Even his name is hot. Jesus Christ._ Clary bit her bottom lip, chewing on it.

"Clary," Alec mused, his voice level and deep. "Is that short for Clarissa? Like _the_ Clarissa Fairchild?" She gulped, and nodded. "That's nuts. You have the power to create new runes, right? Everyone is going to freak out that you're here. Welcome to Alicante Prestige." He gave her a warm smile, and she returned it.

"Thanks so much," she replied. "And it's honestly not as cool as everyone makes it out to be. It's kind of boring and time consuming. And half of the time I can't even think of a new one." She was babbling. She cleared her throat, blushing and still avoiding Jace's persistent gaze. "Anyways it's nice to meet you both." She gave a tentative smile.

"The pleasure is ours," Jace purred, and _oh my lord his voice._ How was it possible that even his _voice_ could turn her knees to freaking jelly?

"Could you help us bring Clary's bags up to the room?" Isabelle said, eyes wide in what Clary assumed was a signature "puppy dog look." Both boys looked over at the mass that was Clary's bag and their eyes widened. Then Jace dove for the duffle bag.

"I call it!" He panted. Alec looked pained, but grabbed the handle of the larger one. Clary felt sympathy for him. There were _a lot_ of shoes in there.

"Uh, it has wheels," She said, trying to be helpful. "So you can roll it around if that's easier."

"Well," Alex said, shooting daggers at Jace. "We have to go up four flights of stairs, so I don't think the wheels will be much help." Clary sagged, and he quickly tried to recover. "It's fine! No seriously, it's okay. It can't be that bad right?" He smiled good naturedly. _Little does he know._

And after four flights of stairs, he definitely knew. They reached the top, and he practically collapsed on top of the bag, breathing hard.

"I—," he spluttered. "I—holy shit. I think—I think I gave myself—a _hernia_." Jace burst into laughter, bending over at the waist and clutching his stomach. Alec shot him a look that could peel paint off the walls.

"Oh, shit," Clary hovered over Alec, not sure what to do. "I'm so sorry, I thought there would be like an _elevator_ or something. Jesus Christ, here, let me roll it to the room, I'm capable of that!" Alec waved her away and stood up, wincing. They walked in silence down the corridor, only interrupted by the squeaks of their shoes on the marble. Finally, after passing what seemed like a million doors, the found their room, number 450. Isabelle unlocked the door and ducked inside, Clary following suit. Then she stopped dead in her tracks. The room was _huge_. She expected college dorm size, but this was practically an apartment. There was a gorgeous crystalline chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and soft, plush carpeting beneath her feet. One half of the room was neat and tidy, containing a full bed, night table, dresser, and desk, while the other half looked like an explosion occurred. Clothes were strewn everywhere, the bed was unmade, and the number of shoes lying around would put Clary's collection to shame. Every surface was covered in makeup and perfume. She could immediately tell which side was hers, and she sidled over to the bed. Alec pushed her suitcase to the corner with a grunt, and Jace unceremoniously dumped her duffel bag at the foot of her bed.

"Thank you both so much for helping," She looked at both of them, and gave her first genuine smile. Jace blinked furiously for a second, then returned her smile with a smirk. Alec smiled softly.

"I wouldn't call what Jace did _helping_ —" Isabelle started, but Jace cut her off.

"I graced you all with my presence," he stated, matter of fact. "That's more than most people get from me." He grinned at Clary, knocking the wind out of her. _He's a fucking Adonis._ Isabelle and Alec, unamused, rolled their eyes. Then Isabelle grabbed them both and practically threw them out the door.

"Clary's probably tired," She said. "We'll talk to you guys tomorrow. Goodnight my lovely brothers of whom I adore." She slammed the door in their faces. Clary laughed. Isabelle turned to her and smiled.

"Let's get some rest. Tomorrow's gonna be a long day."

 **So I hope everyone enjoyed. Please READ and REVIEW! I'll see ya'll soon.**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hi everyone! I'm so sorry this chapter took forever to write and get up. I've just been busy with school and work, and my creative flow has been a little wonky. Anyways, thank you to those who have been favoriting and reviewing, it really means so much to me! I'm glad people are enjoying this story. This chapter is definitely going to have some more Jace in it, so hold on tight. LET'S GOOO.**

Sunlight streamed through the big window, filtering past the curtains and coating Clary's bedsheets with a warm, velvety glow. She sighed contently. _So warm. So soft. So sleepy._ She could spend her whole life here, in this heavy-lidded bliss. She burrowed down deeper into the comforter and let her mind slowly ease back into unconsciousness. _So warm. So soft. So—_

"Wakey wakey," Sang Isabelle, arms thrusting open the curtains. "Wake _up_ Clary, it's nearly ten in the morning. We've got some shit to get done today." Clary groaned, but slowly peeled herself into a sitting position. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, then looked around. Izzy was already dressed and ready, in full glam. Clary didn't really expect otherwise, but it was still pretty impressive.

"Morning, Izzy," She yawned. She stood up and shook out her curls. Isabelle sat down on the bed and pulled out her laptop.

"I'll just wait while you get ready," She said, then looked over. "I want to be downstairs eating breakfast by like ten-thirty, so get your cute ass in the shower." She looked back down at the laptop, staring intensely at a dress that looked like it was made of rubber. Clary shuddered and ducked into the in-suite bathroom. The warm water was excellent at waking her up, and she felt more like herself as she came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel.

"Do you care if I change in front of you?" She asked Isabelle. Isabelle, still staring at the rubber slip on the screen, shook her head. Clary dropped her towel, put on underwear, and tugged on her black skinny jeans, black chucks, and oversized t-shirt. She quickly dried her curls with the towel, brushed on some mascara, and deodorized herself. Brushing her teeth and spraying perfume at the same time proved to be a bad idea, she nearly blinded herself from the spray. "Okay, I'm ready." Isabelle stood and Clary followed her out the door.

They headed downstairs, back to the first floor. There was a door on the right side of the great entrance hall that Clary now knew was to the cafeteria. It was packed full of people. Somehow, they managed to squeeze into the crowd and grab some breakfast before emerging on the other side of the mass. Isabelle squinted out towards the tables.

"There they are!" She grabbed Clary's wrist and dragged her over to a table. Lo and behold, there sat the Greek god himself, sitting sprawled out next to Alec. She felt her insides flip and flutter. _Breathe, you bitch. Act normal._ She took a quick, shuddering breath. Isabelle sat next to Alec and Clary took the seat next to her, facing Jace. He sent a quick smirk her way, sending another jolt through her. She tentatively smiled back.

"Morning, Clary," Alec sent a quick smile her way.

"Good morning!" She replied brightly, then turned towards Izzy. "What's on the agenda for today?" Isabelle swallowed her mouthful of pancakes, nearly choking. Jace and Alec snickered.

"Well," She said, shooting a quick glare at her brothers. "I was going to show you to all the classrooms and the gym, so you know where you're going. And then I was going to train a little tonight, if you wanted to join me." Clary nodded in approval. "You guys wanna help me show her around?" Isabelle asked the two boys. Alec nodded, Jace shrugged noncommittedly.

They all chatted for a while, sucking down breakfast quickly. Clary sipped her coffee with reverence. The whole time she struggled to maintain composure as Jace's eyes slid over her. She stared at his full lips a millisecond too long, and she felt her breathing kick up. She averted her eyes. _Fuck. Me._

"Well, when you ask so nicely," She heard his amused voice. She looked over, confused. Isabelle and Alec were staring at her strangely.

"Did I say that out loud?" Clary asked, blushing. "I was just thinking about something I have to do. My bad." _Yeah, definitely something I want to_ do _._ She was probably the color of a tomato by this point. Jace's smirk grew, but he remained silent. The other two seemed to shrug it off and continued talking.

"I don't see why Magnus wouldn't understand that you don't want a birthday party," Isabelle was saying. Alec's eyes grew wide.

"Have you _met_ my boyfriend?" He said incredulously. "He'll shut me out for an entire month if I don't go to a party he planned for me."

"Magnus Bane?" Clary interjected. "High Warlock of Brooklyn?" Everyone's head swiveled her way. Magnus was very close to her family, and he often invited her over for tea and gossip. He was generally fascinated with her abilities to create runes and portals, and they usually ended up mulling over ancient books and scrolls for hours trying to figure out ways to push her limits. "We're really good friends. He lives near me. I should've put together that you're _the_ Alec! I'm so stupid." She smacked her forehead. Alec grinned.

"Well we should definitely go to the party now then, considering you and him are friends," Isabelle clapped her hands excitedly. She smacked Alec on the shoulder. "I guess you'll just have to suck it up." He grimaced.

"When's your birthday?" Clary asked, if not only to be polite. Alec didn't seem like the oversharing type.

"It's this next Saturday," he replied, looking glum. "It's not that I don't appreciate it. It's just I don't like attention." He winced; apparently even thinking about it was painful. Clary shot a sympathetic look. Jace reached over and clapped him on the back.

"Don't worry, _parabatai_ ," He said, joyously. "Take comfort in the fact you'll actually be getting laid for the first time in about three months. I know I'll be doing the same." Even though she had just met him, Clary stiffened slightly. _Chill. You don't even know him. He can sleep with whoever he damn well pleases._ Isabelle snorted loudly, making Clary jump a little.

"Like hell it's been three months since you got laid," She shot him a look. "I bet it hasn't even been a month." Jace shrugged, a slow smile appearing on his face. _Curse him for looking like an angel._

"I can neither confirm nor deny," He said smartly. His stare glided over to Clary, practically caressing her face with his eyes. She held back another shiver. _I'm not going to be one of those girls that just drools over an emotionally unavailable guy._ With that, she straightened her shoulders and turned towards Izzy.

"Let's get the tour started?"

 **.oOOOOOOOOOOo.**

Two hours later and she was exhausted, but informed. She knew every inch of the grounds, and where all the classes were. Jace and Alec had followed them around, interjecting only to provide fairly useless commentary. At one point, they all were hiding in a closet from one of Jace's more "temperamental" – as he like to put it – conquests. It somewhat helped her hardening of feelings toward him, although being trapped in a closet in close proximity seemed to undo all the progress she had made before. She could practically feel the warmth radiating off him, the absolute raw _maleness_ of him. She wanted to attack him and ride him like a freaking pony. And when his hand brushed across hers by accident? It was all she could do to contain a moan. Just the thought of his hands _all over her_ was enough to set her on edge. With a sigh, she pushed these thoughts away and pulled the rest of her training gear on. It was time to show them what power she possessed. _And though she be but little, she be fierce._

Heading out into the gym alongside Izzy, she picked up a couple wooden daggers that were used for training. Isabelle seemed to favor her whip, which was coiled around her wrist like a bracelet. They stretched, waiting for the boys to enter from the locker room. A slim boy with soft brown hair and crooked glasses was standing nearby, half-heartedly throwing daggers at a stuffed dummy. One of the daggers bounced off and clattered next to Isabelle's feet. She bent down to pick it up, and he smiled gratefully.

"Thanks!" He took the dagger. "My name is Simon, I just transferred." He seemed enraptured by Isabelle, but then again, who wasn't? Isabelle seemed oblivious. She flicked her long hair back.

"I'm Clary," Clary said. "And this is Izzy. I just transferred here as well, but Isabelle has been here forever. It's nice to meet you." Isabelle just smiled politely at him and continued to uncoil her whip. Clary and Simon chatted for a few minutes, basic conversation. Isabelle interjected a couple times to add her own information. By then, the boys came out of the locker room and had begun to stretch.

"Do you want to train with us?" Isabelle asked Simon. He shook his head apologetically.

"Sorry, I have to go meet with the dean," He pointed to his wrist, even though he had no watch. "I'll catch you guys later though." With a wave, he disappeared back into the locker room.

"He was nice," Clary said, eyeing Isabelle. She shrugged noncommittedly. "He seemed pretty in to you." Isabelle looked at her strangely.

"Really?" She flicked her hair again. Clary noticed it seemed to be a nervous habit. "I don't think so." Clary snorted so loud, Alec and Jace looked over in surprise.

"Please," She laughed. "You're just going to ignore the _bionic_ hard on he had for you? Alright, girl." Isabelle seemed stunned for a second, then burst into peals of musical laughter. _Even her laugh is gorgeous, what the heck?_

They began to spar with each other, pretty evenly matched. Clary found herself enjoying the time spent. That is, until Jace started his round of annoying commentary.

"Spread your feet apart more."

"Your stance is too wide."

"Throw your back into it, Jesus. You aren't mowing a lawn, you're wielding a _sword_." Finally, Clary snapped.

"Why don't you and I spar?" She glared at him. His eyes seemed to heat up, slowly. Like molten honey. She felt the shiver in her spine again. Her chest was heaving from the spar with Isabelle and she became acutely aware of how much air her body was receiving. His eyes lazily traveled up her body, making her flush. _Get ahold of yourself Clary._ Isabelle looked slightly alarmed.

"Clary I don't think—" She started.

"Me?" He said, smiling wolfishly. "Spar with little ol' you? Are you sure you can handle that?" She raised her eyebrows at him.

"I'm not playing games," She said irritably. "Either we spar, or you get the fuck out of my bubble." She motioned around herself, as if to imitate being in a bubble. Although he probably got the memo. "Your commentary is an annoying blip in my radar." He continued to grin but shook his head and started over. Isabelle sighed in defeat, then moved to sit next to Alec next to the wall. Jace positioned himself across from Clary. She gave him a slow once over. Halfway to check him out and halfway to size him up. He chuckled quietly.

"Ready?" He said, nearly whispering. His eyes bore holes into her. She couldn't look back.

"Yes."

Faster than she could have imagined, he lunged toward her. She tried to dodge, but he had the element of surprise on his side and he swiftly disarmed her. Within seconds she was weaponless and pinned on the floor by his warm body. The breath was knocked out of her. His face was so close, his eyes so large. The electricity coursing between them was dizzying. His eyes traced her lips, growing dark with a heat she couldn't decipher. _If I could just get a little bit closer…_ His full mouth begged her. He smiled, slow and sexy. Did he have a normal smile? One that didn't disintegrate panties?

"Fine," She breathed. "You win." His eyes swept her face, smile softening.

"Yeah," He whispered. "I did."

 **Alright guys, so sorry about that. I felt like this chapter was such a bitch to write. But I'm trying to set up the story, so I can focus more on the romance later on. But we got some action! Anyways, please R &R. See ya'll next time!**


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